1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing device, and particularly relates to an information processing device which exchanges data with a card-type medium such as a data recording medium in plural operation modes.
2. Related Background Art
Among card-type media to store data and communicate data in an information processing device such as a personal computer, there is a CF (compact flash) card. In the information processing device which supports the CF card, a card slot for the CF card is provided, and the information processing device can access the CF card by an user inserting the CF card into the card slot.
The CF card supports three operation modes: memory mode, TrueIDE mode, and card I/O mode. The memory mode and the TrueIDE mode are operation modes prepared for a memory card. The card I/O mode is an operation mode added to support an I/O card which is the standard called CF+ developed from the memory card.
When the CF card is the memory card, the CF card supports both of the operation modes: memory mode and TrueIDE mode, but when the CF card is the I/O card, the CF card does not support the TrueIDE mode.
Therefore, the information processing device needs to access the CF card in any of these three operation modes, but if the CF card is used as the memory card, access in the TrueIDE mode is sometimes desirable since the data transfer rate is sometimes higher in the TrueIDE mode than in the memory mode.
However, it is not known whether the inserted CF card is the memory card which supports the memory mode and the TrueIDE mode or the I/O card which supports the card I/O mode even if the information processing device accesses the CF card in the TrueIDE mode, so that the CF card needs to be accessed in the memory mode. If the CF card which does not support the TrueIDE mode is accessed in the TrueIDE mode, the CF card, of course, does not operate normally.
Therefore, in order to check whether the CF card inserted into the card slot is the memory card which supports the memory mode and the TrueIDE mode or the I/O card which supports the card I/O mode, it is necessary to access the CF card in the memory mode and read CIS (Card Information Structure) information as card attribute information held in the CF card. The CIS information as the card attribute information cannot be read by accessing the CF card in the TrueIDE mode, and it is necessary to access the CF card in the memory mode or the card I/O mode. It is further necessary to judge whether or not the CF card is the memory card which supports the TrueIDE mode based on the CIS information, and, if not, perform an operation such as stopping data transfer processing after displaying an error message.
Needless to say, a method of accessing the CF card in the TrueIDE mode from the beginning without performing the above judgment is conceivable (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-355476). This method is beneficial when the CF card is used instead of a hard disk drive by incorporating a micro drive conforming to specifications of the CF card in the information processing device. In this case, information on the micro drive is known in advance, and the micro drive is never replaced as the CF card by the user, so that no problem arises even if the operation mode is fixed to the TrueIDE mode. On the other hand, when the CF card is replaced in the card slot at the user's discretion, there is a possibility that various kinds of CF cards are inserted, so that the operation mode cannot be fixed to the TrueIDE mode.
Accordingly, it is necessary to shift to the TrueIDE mode after once accessing the CF card in the memory mode, reading the CIS information, and confirming whether the card supports the TrueIDE mode. Note, however, that to shift from the memory mode to the TrueIDE mode, it is necessary to temporarily turn off the power of the CF card and turn on the power again after an OE signal is fixed to a ground level. This is because the CF card is designed so as to get up and running in the TrueIDE mode if a ninth pin to which the OE signal is supplied is a ground when the power is turned on and get up and running in the memory mode if not so.
However, even if the power of the CF card is temporarily turned off, there arises a problem that the voltage of a power line which is supplying the power does not fall soon since the load of the CF card is light, and thereby the user's waiting time becomes longer. Although the specific fall time varies according to the type of the CF card, for example, several hundred milliseconds to about two seconds are needed.
In particular, when still image data, moving image data, music data, or the like stored in the CF card is reproduced, the user tends to feel the waiting time long. For example, if the fall time of the power becomes longer when the still image data stored in the CF card is read and thumbnail images are displayed on a display screen, the time from the manipulation of the user to the display of the first thumbnail image becomes longer, which may cause user discomfort.
Such a problem that a long time is required when the power of the CF card is turned off arises not only when the operation mode of the CF card is switched but also simply when the power of the CF card is turned off and the CF card is pulled out. Further, such a problem can arise also when the power of any other type of card-type medium is turned off in addition to the case of the CF card.
Moreover, if the above processing is performed after the need for reading data from the CF card or the need for writing data into the CF card arises, the time until the reading and writing of data from/to the CF card is enabled increases, and consequently the waiting time becomes longer. In particular, when the still image data, moving image data, music data, or the like stored in the CF card is reproduced, the user tends to feel the waiting time long.
For example, when the still image data stored in the CF card is read and thumbnail images are displayed on the display screen, if the time until the data can be read from the CF card becomes longer, the time from the manipulation of the user to the display of the first thumbnail image becomes longer, which may cause user discomfort. Such a problem arises not only in the CF card but also in any card-type medium which needs to read card information before access.
Further, in part of CF cards, the communication speed in the memory mode is sometimes faster than that in the TrueIDE mode, and in such a case, the exchange of data with the CF card in the memory mode can shorten the data transfer time.
Furthermore, it is known that in some cases, even if the CF card is accessed at a communication speed supposed to be capable of normal data exchange, a communication error occurs, and thereby data can not be exchanged normally. It is also known that such a situation occurs because there are various manufacturers and types of CF cards, and depending on the manufacturer and the type, the CF card does not support the communication speed which is supposed to be supported or there is a mismatch with a driver. However, in such a case, if the CF card cannot be used, the user is inconvenienced, which is undesirable. Such a problem can arise not only in the CF card but also other types of data recording media.